Founder Case Study

Rethinking Wind Power

Adam Harris and Myriad’s Modular Approach to Affordable Energy

Engineering the Next Generation

Myriad Wind Energy Systems is a Scottish climate-tech startup working to make wind power more affordable, flexible, and accessible. Co-founder Adam Harris built the company alongside Peter Taylor and Paul Pirrie after the three met during their PhD studies at the Wind and Marine Energy Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Strathclyde.

What began as academic exploration quickly revealed a commercial opportunity. The team recognised that conventional wind turbines remain expensive to transport, manufacture, and install. Myriad’s modular turbine concept approaches the problem differently by combining multiple smaller turbines within a transportable structure, reducing complexity while improving deployment flexibility.

Since formally registering the company in 2021, Myriad has progressed from research concept to early commercial traction, raising pre-seed funding, building proof-of-concept technology, and expanding its team.

Along the way, the company became a Techscaler member, the national startup programme delivered by CodeBase. Through workspace, mentorship, and community access, Techscaler placed Myriad within a growing network of founders, advisors, and ecosystem partners supporting ambitious startups building globally relevant technologies.

With this piece we explore how Myriad moved from doctoral research to venture-backed climate technology.

James Trotman [from Techscaler] has been a huge help in getting us in front of investors, and South East Angels was one of those. They’ve invested in Myriad Wind in our recent round.
Adam Harris, Co-founder, Myriad Wind

From Research to Venture

The idea behind Myriad emerged during doctoral research into next-generation wind energy technologies. Adam Harris met his future co-founders Peter Taylor and Paul Pirrie while studying within Strathclyde University’s Wind and Marine Energy Centre for Doctoral Training.

During the programme, the cohort encountered research exploring a novel turbine concept that combined multiple smaller turbines into a single system. The concept suggested enormous potential, yet practical pathways for commercial deployment were still unclear.

As their PhDs progressed, the three researchers began exploring how the technology might translate beyond academia. Through the Conception X accelerator, they realised the opportunity to commercialise the work. Within a week of recognising the potential, the founding team committed to building the company that would become Myriad Wind.

Finding a Viable Early Market Strategy

From the outset, the founders understood their technology could dramatically reduce the cost of wind energy across global markets. Achieving that scale, however, required capital levels far beyond the reach of a young company.

The challenge therefore became strategic. The team needed to identify stepping-stone markets where they could deploy their technology early, build commercial credibility, and continue advancing the product.

At the same time, they were developing the company itself. This meant refining a commercial strategy, attracting early investment, and building the credibility required to turn research into a viable venture.

  • Identify stepping stone markets before tackling the billion-pound global wind infrastructure opportunity
  • Secure early capital to move technology beyond the academic research phase
  • Translate PhD innovation into a commercially credible product and venture

Entering a Founder Community

Myriad joined the CodeBase workspace in Stirling in 2023 shortly after securing its pre-seed investment. Within that environment the company became part of Techscaler.

For Harris and his team, proximity to other founders proved immediately valuable. Early stage companies often navigate similar uncertainties around markets, hiring, product development, and fundraising. Being part of a shared environment created space for conversations that offered reassurance as well as practical insight.

Those informal exchanges formed an important layer of support, helping the team recognise that many of the challenges they faced were familiar to other founders building ambitious technology ventures.

Jason Wagner, our Techscaler Mentor, has been great. We’ve often popped into his office to ask his thoughts. It’s all been informal, but really helpful.”
Adam Harris, Co-founder, Myriad Wind

Access to Practical Founder Insight

Beyond the shared workspace environment, Myriad also benefited from direct access to experienced mentors within the Techscaler network. Founder conversations often extend beyond formal programming, and for Harris, those moments proved particularly valuable.

Advice from mentors and programme leads offered perspective as the company navigated early decisions around hiring, market positioning, and product development. These exchanges helped the founders sense-check ideas and learn from the experiences of others who had previously built and scaled companies.

At the same time, the Techscaler environment placed Myriad within a wider ecosystem of investors, operators, and entrepreneurs. That network strengthened the company’s ability to move forward with confidence while continuing to develop the technology at the centre of its long-term vision.

Lessons for the Ecosystem

Myriad’s journey illustrates how early stage research can evolve into globally relevant climate technology when the right ecosystem surrounds it. Programmes such as Techscaler help bridge that transition by connecting founders with mentors, peers, and infrastructure designed for growth.

For governments, corporates, universities, and investors shaping innovation systems, stories like Myriad demonstrate the importance of founder-focused support structures that translate research into scalable businesses capable of tackling global challenges.

Follow Myriad Wind on LinkedIn to track their next development milestones.

We joined the CodeBase office in Stirling in 2023 when we got the pre-seed. Techscaler is embedded there, and it’s a close community. You get a lot of benefit from informal chats, whether in the kitchen or over a beer. It’s important to know others have been through the same things.
Adam Harris, Co-founder, Myriad Wind

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